Texas police make Target data breach-related arrests

21 January 2014 | 2873 views | 0

Texas police have arrested two Mexican citizens accused of using card data stolen in the Target data breach to buy tens of thousands of dollars' worth of goods.

Mary Carmen Garcia and Daniel Guardiola Dominguez from Monterrey, Mexico were arrested near the border over the weekend after being caught with 96 counterfeit credit cards. The cards are understood to use account information compromised in the Target breach.

According to local press reports, after a spate of fraudulent purchases at retailers in the border town of McAllen, police identified the couple through CCTV footage.

The suspects were then picked up as they tried to enter the US and arrested on state fraud charges, accused of making tens of thousands of dollars of purchases at merchants including Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

At a press conference McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said: "It quickly became obvious to us...it was part of a data set that was involved in what we call now the Target data breach"

However, federal authorities investigating the Target attack have told Fox News that there is currently no link between the arrests and the Target investigation.